DB11
had a difficult task replacing the
DB9
, then Aston's job will be even tougher when replacing the Vantage with - you would guess - another Vantage. Back in 2005 it was the new sports car, a punchy little V8 to take on the Germans and really establish Aston in the 21st century. Through Roadster,
V12
faster V8
Zagato specials
, the Vantage has been a hugely important car for Aston. It remains
a lovely car
in 2017 in fact though, as you can see, the replacement is imminent.
Probably going to sound alright, isn't it?
Despite the livery - rumours are it may use Pirelli tyres - this is our best look yet at the next car, which we'd guess will debut at the Frankfurt show. And even with the camo, a few themes are clear. There's a definite
DB10
look to the front end, the slender headlights and new grille perhaps the biggest giveaways. The slats behind the wheelarches are a cue borrowed from the DB11, though it would appear that the Vantage carries its own set of styling characteristics. No doubt there will be some
Vulcan
cues somewhere too, though we'll be damned if we can see them yet.
Logic would dictate that the replacement for the V8 Vantage would use a V8 again - they don't call us investigative journalists for nothing - and, well, there's already a V8 in the DB11... Yes, if we were betting people, we'd put a tenner on the next V8 Vantage using the AMG 'hot-V' V8 in some form or another. Remember it's 476hp in the standard AMG GT and 510hp in the GT S, so that's where we'd expect the Aston to rank. What an engine to have access to as well! As for the gearbox, who knows? Aston Martin uses the eight-speed ZF auto with the DB11, and then Mercedes uses a wet-clutch auto, a dual-clutch and a conventional nine-speed auto in its installations of the engine.
While we can't see inside the car yet, some new interior architecture will be on the way too. Again, some Mercedes influence there wouldn't be a bad thing at all... To be honest, an Aston take on the AMG GT sounds exceptional, but surely Aston won't be allowed access to the whole toy box?
That and many other questions are still to be answered, but there shouldn't be long to wait now. What would you like to see in this very significant new model? The floor is yours!